Chapter 0156: The Land of Jingcheng, the Homebound One, the Beggarless Sect.
The imperial decree was issued, immediately dispatched by Jingcheng couriers to send official notices along the route, ensuring the official roads to Liaozhou would be clear before the New Year festival.
Upon receiving the notifications, various prefectures hurriedly began arrangements. With time tight and tasks numerous, the authorities had no choice but to first requisition crude salt from salt merchants, who would then proceed to the Salt Bureau to obtain salt permits, purchase crude salt at the production sites, and transport it back to their localities.
The previous dynasty of Jian’an had been enthusiastic about developing salt fields for profit, hence salt fields were plentiful. The emperor’s departure, using melted snow to assist road clearance, wasn’t overly extravagant. However, while crude salt supplies were sufficient, transport caravans were scarce. The official roads stretched vast distances, and to cover all areas adequately, significantly more crude salt needed to be transported.
The opening of salt permits made many ordinary merchants covetous. Hearing that anyone who paid over ten taels in taxes last year could purchase salt permits at the Salt Bureau—though limited in quantity and available first-come-first-served—those who had long eyed the salt merchants’ profits rushed forward in crowds.
Merchants from various regions drove their carts through the cold and snow along the official roads, arriving at the nearest Salt Bureau to obtain permits, only to meet with disappointment.
“Go away, go away! The salt permits are all gone. You’re too late!” At the entrance, a Yamen Runner waved his hand dismissively, his tone impatient.
“How can that be?” The merchants who had struggled to get here were stunned. They were the closest to this location and should have been among the first to arrive. How could there be no permits left?
Yet the runner had no intention of answering their questions, merely shooing them away impatiently. At that moment, a figure emerged from a caravan—a young man with delicate features. He whispered something to the runner, who promptly bowed and ushered him inside.
“Sir, why was he allowed in?” a merchant immediately questioned. The runner cast a contemptuous glance at the questioner. “He’s here on other business. Stop blocking the entrance! Hurry up and leave!”
The merchants had no choice but to depart resentfully, though some shrewd ones parked their carts at a distance and sent people back to keep a close watch on the Salt Bureau.
Inside the Salt Bureau.
The young merchant with refined features followed the runner unhurriedly. Upon entering the hall where salt permits were issued, he saw the Salt Administration Officer seated inside, with stacks of salt permits laid out on the desk.
“Your Honor.” The runner approached and murmured something. The Salt Administration Officer then turned his gaze to the young merchant.
“From where?” The officer’s words were terse, his sharp eyes fixed on the other.
The young merchant smiled faintly, his peach blossom eyes strikingly bright. “The land of Jingcheng.”
“Who are you?”
“The homebound one.”
“Which sect?”
The young merchant stepped forward, lowering his voice to a volume only audible to the two of them. “The Beggarless Sect.”
The Salt Administration Officer’s pupils contracted slightly. He then scrutinized the young merchant. “Newcomer?”
The young merchant smiled without responding.
The officer looked him up and down, committing his appearance to memory, then pulled six short-term permits from one of the two stacks on the desk and casually pressed them onto a corner of the desk. “Go over there to pay the tax.”
Having said this, he closed his eyes to rest.
“One moment, Your Honor.” The young man retrieved a letter from his chest and presented it to the Salt Administration Officer. “Please take a look at this.”
The Salt Administration Officer eyed him suspiciously before opening the letter. Inside, there were no words, only a perfectly formed crimson pattern, which made the officer gasp in shock. He quickly stood up and bowed, “Forgive my ignorance for failing to recognize your eminence. How many salt permits does my lord require? Please take as many as you wish.”
“No need for formalities,” the young merchant said calmly, picking up the entire stack of year-long permits from the desk with an air of composure.
Under the slightly panicked gaze of the Salt Administration Officer, the young merchant set the permits back down and looked at him with a teasing smile. “Don’t panic, I was just weighing them.”
With that, he took twenty permits from the stack and pulled two silver ingots from his sleeve. “This is the tax payment.”
“Oh, my lord, there’s no need to trouble yourself like this!” the officer hurriedly waved his hands, flattering with a smile, “Please take it back, take it back!”
This was the first time he had encountered someone with the full flower seal—such a person undoubtedly held significant power, far beyond what a minor Salt Administration Officer like him could afford to provoke.
“No matter, rules are rules,” the young merchant placed the silver on the desk, not in the designated tax collection area, and turned to leave.
If the other party refused to accept the bribe silver, his conscience wouldn’t rest easy, after all~
He was neither part of the so-called “no-beggar faction,” nor was he some ordinary merchant or official.
Once in the carriage, the coachman prepared to head to the salt fields, but they hadn’t gone far before being intercepted by the merchants who had been lurking nearby, keeping watch.
“Brother, you must have obtained the salt permits, right? May I ask what connections you used?” one merchant stood by the carriage window, raising his hand in salute and speaking loudly to the young merchant inside.
Most of these merchants were middle-aged, as only those who could afford the ten-tael tax and had the means to transport salt had typically been in business for over a decade. The sudden appearance of an unfamiliar young man inevitably raised suspicions that he must have used some unconventional methods.
The carriage remained quiet for a moment. Just as the bold merchant was about to speak again, the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing the owner of the Peach Blossom Eyes, his expression relaxed and carefree as he smiled. “This junior didn’t use any special connections. I merely stumbled upon a method to obtain the salt permits from someone else.”
Upon hearing this, the merchants grew excited. “Young brother, could you share it with us? We will surely repay you generously!”
With that, they each pulled out their merchant seals from their sleeves. “You must be new to business, right? In these times, trading isn’t easy. To last long, you need connections. Would you prefer money or pathways?”
Nothing yields profits like selling salt. If these ordinary merchants could obtain salt permits, they would be immensely grateful to the young merchant and willing to offer him future conveniences in his business endeavors.
“Hmm…” the young merchant pondered briefly before replying, “Very well. Since there are still plenty of salt permits left at the Salt Bureau, and it no longer concerns me, I might as well build goodwill with you seniors.”
He stepped down from the carriage and motioned for the crowd to gather closer, speaking slowly, “To obtain salt vouchers, you must know a few code phrases. For your safety, we must assess your family assets to determine how many code phrases you’re eligible to hear. If your assets are under a thousand taels, you may hear the first code phrase and receive two short-term vouchers; if under three thousand taels, you may hear the second code phrase and get four short-term vouchers; if above three thousand taels, you may hear all three code phrases.”
“Gentlemen, I’m speaking for your benefit,” the young merchant said gravely, his words and expression full of concern for the group. “Although the other party doesn’t know how many people are aware of these code phrases, if everyone claims to know all three, the Salt Bureau will surely become suspicious. They would then check your transit permits and broker licenses, and if any discrepancies are found, I’m afraid we’d all lose our heads!”
The merchants exchanged glances, clearly recognizing the risks involved.